[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 4653-4654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1597]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
20 CFR Parts 404 and 416
[Docket No. SSA-2011-0094]
Requiring Electronic Filing of Select Appeals by Certain Claimant
Representatives
AGENCY: Social Security Administration.
ACTION: Notification of implementation of requirement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are announcing the requirement that appointed
representatives file certain appeals using our electronic systems in
matters for which the representatives request direct fee payment. This
is the first service required under the regulation we published on
September 12, 2011 (76 FR 56107), Requiring Use of Electronic Services.
DATES: The effective date of this notification of implementation of
requirement is March 16, 2012.
[[Page 4654]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joann S. Anderson, Social Security
Administration, Office of Income Security Programs, 6401 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401, (410) 965-6716.
For information on eligibility or filing for benefits, call our
national toll-free number, 1-(800)-772-1213 or TTY 1-(800)-325-0778, or
visit our Internet site, Social Security Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Requiring Electronic Filing of Appeals
On September 12, 2011, we published final rules that require
representatives to conduct business with us electronically at the times
and in the manner we prescribe on matters for which the representative
requests direct fee payment. At the time, we did not require
representatives to use any specific electronic service. Rather, in the
preamble to the final rule (76 FR 56107), we stated that, ``Once we
determine that we should make a particular electronic service publicly
available because it works well, we will publish a notice in the
Federal Register. The notice will contain the new requirement(s) and a
list of all established electronic service requirements.'' We also said
in the preamble that we would adjust the burden for affected Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approved collections before requiring
representatives to use the collections' electronic versions. We
published a notice on December 1, 2011 (76 FR 74838) concerning the
burden adjustment for the affected electronic services under OMB No.
0960-0144, Disability Report-Appeal, OMB No. 0960-0269 (Request for
Hearing by Administrative Law Judge), and OMB No. 0960-0622, Request
for Reconsideration.
As of March 16, 2012, we will begin mandating electronic filing of
certain appeals in each matter in which a representative requests
direct payment of the authorized fee. This electronic filing
requirement is limited to the filing of a request for reconsideration
or for a hearing by an administrative law judge for disability claims
under title II of the Social Security Act (Act) or Supplemental
Security Income claims based on disability or blindness under title XVI
of the Act denied for medical reasons. Representatives must satisfy
this electronic filing requirement by using our Internet Appeals web
portal: www.socialsecurity.gov.
A representative has an affirmative duty to comply with this
requirement. We may investigate to determine if a representative
purposefully violated this duty or is attempting to circumvent our
rules. We may sanction a representative who does not follow these
rules. However, we will not reject or delay a claimant's request or
process it differently if a representative fails to comply with this
electronic filing requirement.
Claimants, whether they are represented or not, and representatives
who are not eligible for or who do not request direct fee payment on a
matter, may continue to file all appeal requests either electronically,
on paper, or in any manner we prescribe.
Additional Information
Additional information is available on our Representing Claimants
Web site at http://www.ssa.gov/representation/ or it can be obtained by
writing to: Social Security Administration, Office of Public Inquiries,
Windsor Park Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 96.001, Social
Security-Disability Insurance; 96.002, Social Security-Retirement
Insurance; 96.004, Social Security-Survivors Insurance; and 96.006,
Supplemental Security Income)
Michael J. Astrue,
Commissioner of Social Security.
[FR Doc. 2012-1597 Filed 1-30-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P